Niall Horan has shared a fresh tribute to his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, reflecting on their recent meeting just two weeks ago.
The Irish singer, who rose to fame along with Payne and their bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik after competing on The X Factor in 2010, posted the statement to Instagram along with a sweet photo of them together.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” he wrote. “It just doesn’t feel real.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and made everyone feel happy and secure.”
He continued: “All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever.
“The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
Horan said he felt “so fortunate” that he had been able to see Payne while he was touring in Argentina: “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
He concluded: “My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. Thank you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler.”
More to follow...